Author's Note:

Thank you to Whisperwings (for pointing out the flaws in my writing and for your constructive criticism) and thank you to my readers (because you've actually taken the time to read this fanfic thus far, which is awesome!)

Jim sighed as he exited the lower decks to get some fresh air. He ascended the steps to the helm and sat down on the wooden railing on the starboard side of the ship.

"Told you that I wouldn't be able to reason with that dunderhead;" Jim pouted, folding his arms across his chest. "Doesn't matter if I'm his brother or not."

Martin sighed from where he was stationed at the helm of the ship. "Perhaps, Juanita will have better luck with Miss Rebecca."

"Yeah…" Jarred cut in cheerfully, standing at the ship's portside control panel, "If Juanita can make me dance, then it'll be no problem for her to reason with Miss Clarke."

Jim raised an eyebrow. "Somehow, I've got the feeling that convincing you to do something, isn't much of an achievement." That wiped off Jarred's enthusiastic smile.

Scroop carefully carried Rebecca's lunch between his pincers, facing the same dilemma of keeping the soup from spilling.

"Scroop." Juanita's voice cut in from the shadows, startling the young arachnid.

Using her impressive reflexes, developed from years of being a mercenary, Juanita caught the tray carefully in her hands without spilling a drop of soup.

"A little jumpy, are we?" Juanita gave Scroop a slight smirk.

'Why is everyone sneaking up on me today?' Scroop growled slightly. "What do you want?" He demanded.

"Oh, so I suppose that Jim's already intercepted you today." Juanita stated with a slight smirk, "I understand, that could make anyone grumpy…" She paused. "Well… what I want is-"

"You want me to get you to Rebecca's room, don't you?" Scroop cut in.

"Clever kid." Juanita smirked. "So lead the way, I'll carry the lunch."

Scroop sighed and clicked down the corridor towards Rebecca's quarters.

Scroop tapped lightly on Rebecca's cabin door.

"Come in…" Rebecca's forlorn voice answered as the door was opened from within.

The two sailors entered the room, Juanita more silently than Scroop to avoid suspicion as Rebecca was turned away from them.

"Please just set the meal over there, Scroop." Rebecca gestured to the desk next to the door, having recognized Scroop's distinct footfalls.

Scroop shrugged at Juanita, who set the lunch tray upon the desk.

"I'll be getting back to my duties." Scroop stated, backing towards the door. "If that's all right…"

"Yes." Rebecca nodded. "Don't let me detain you for any longer than is absolutely necessary." She motioned for him to leave.

Scroop shrugged once more to Juanita and then left. Juanita shut the door after Scroop and began to edge her way towards Rebecca.

"Do you not also have duties to attend to, Juanita?" Rebecca asked without turning her back from the Shikaran.

Juanita froze in her steps; stunned that Rebecca could've identified her without looking, as silent as she was.

Rebecca made a noise in her mouth that seemed to be a repressed laugh. "No need to look so stunned, Juan." She turned around, revealing a small mirror that she was holding in her hand.

"Clever move." Juanita smiled.

Rebecca gave Juanita a weak smile, tucking the mirror into her jacket pocket and sitting down on top of the covers of her bed. She sighed and looked at the only female member of her escort. "I suppose that I own you an apology, Juanita…"

"An apology, Miss Clarke?" Juanita raised an eyebrow, retrieving a purp that she had snatched from the galley and biting into it. "What makes you say that?" she asked.

Rebecca shook her head. "Well, I've been… quite secretive for the past week." She stated, "and a bit reclusive; not allowing myself to talk with anyone…"

"Well, you just spoke with Scroop a moment ago." Juanita stated, wiping the purp juice from the corners of her mouth with the back of her hand.

"No, I just spoke to Scroop a moment ago…" Rebecca pointed out. "I haven't actually engaged in any conversation nor social interactions with anyone since our launch from Shikari." She looked away, thinking over her last conversation with John. She sighed and looked up at Juanita.

The Shikaran looked back, slightly stunned. She swallowed the bit of purp and thought a moment. "So… what exactly is it that's been keeping you cooped up in here?"

Rebecca let out a sigh, shaking her head. "I don't entirely understand the reason, myself."

Juanita traced a circle on the uneaten skin of the purp. "You know, maybe the cure is to get out of here?" she offered

Rebecca looked up at the blue-skinned woman oddly.

Juanita shrugged. "Just a suggestion," she stated, "I mean, I wouldn't want to waste time our there by being stuck in here, if you get what I mean."

"Yes…" Rebecca nodded, "I could easily be sitting around like a bump on a log elsewhere, but no; I am here." She stood from her bed and looked up determinedly. "I should make the most of life."

"Um…" Juanita was taken back from Rebecca's sudden rush of enthusiasm but decided to go with it. "Yeah! So how 'bout we go out onto the main deck?"

By the time Juanita had spoken, Rebecca had already shut the door behind her.

"Hey, Rebecca, wait!" Juanita hurried out of the cabin after Rebecca.

Rebecca ran out onto the main deck, hurrying towards the bow of the ship.

A few of the crewmembers cast odd glances at the young woman, but continued going about their work.

"Rebecca!" Juanita sprinted after the young woman, who had climbed over the railing at the bow of the ship. "Wait a second, what are you doing?"

Rebecca climbed out onto the rope netting below the bowsprit and sat down near the very edge. She grasped two ropes and looked at the rose-winged flock of Mantabirds flying below the bow of the ship.

"Rebecca?" Juanita called from the railing of the ship.

Rebecca glanced back at the female Shikaran and then resumed watching the Mantabirds gracefully gliding through the Etherium.

Juanita heaved a sigh of relief as she walked out onto the netting and sat down beside Rebecca. "Sheesh! You know, you nearly gave me a heart attack just then…" She scolded the young woman, "I thought that you were going to jump ship or something crazy like that!"

Rebecca smiled faintly. "Sorry…" She kept her eyes glues upon the Mantabirds. "I guess…" she sighed, "I didn't realize just how long I was in that room. Something must have clicked inside me when an opportunity presented itself."

"Well…" Juanita stood up on the rope netting. "Just don't do that again, you scared me."

Rebecca chuckled softly, standing up beside Juanita. "I don't intend to stay in my cabin for that long ever again. I'm sorry for worrying you, Juanita." She made her way back to the main deck of the ship.

"Hey, remember, without you, I'm outta a job." Juanita pointed. "Right?"

Rebecca nodded, climbing back onto the main deck and watching the Mantabirds from the railing. Juanita sighed and climbed up beside Rebecca.

John took me out on a longboat ride tonight…it was the most thrilling experience that I've ever encountered in my life. The only word that I can use to describe the wonder of seeing the Theta Nebula up close is: enchanting.

I don't know for how long we were out there, but apparently I had fallen asleep for the majority of the time. I suppose that today has been a long day, after all, but I finally woke up, still in the longboat while it was in its lower chamber of the ship. John had placed his jacket around my shoulders so that I wouldn't get cold and was only just closing the lower hatch of the longboat dock house when I had woken up.

I don't know what to write down for my feelings at that moment… I was happy to have such a caring friend but at the same time curious about our relationship. I mean, I can only say that we are more than just friends at this point… but I still can't say exactly what we are. I guess, in time, I will have to find the answers myself.

John closed the pocketbook as he read the last entry of Rebecca's journal and felt like shooting himself in the head. 'What 'ave I done?'

The young man then stood from his chair and hurried out of his quarters. He immediately saw Rebecca bolt from her cabin for the main deck with Juanita hurrying after her, shouting her name.

John raised an eyebrow in curiosity and then followed the women.

Author's Note:

You know, I think that I'll end the chapter right here, just to keep you guys hanging until the next update (oh, suspense is an evil thing…)

MG#6